Fig. 9.

Overview of the interaction between hepatic lipid metabolism, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) processes in hepatocytes. Mitochondrial oxidation, here represented by fatty acid (FA) oxidation under oxygen (O₂) consumption, is associated with the formation of reactive oxygen species (here exemplified by H₂O₂). H₂O₂ is detoxified by the activity of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Importantly, H₂O₂ is converted to the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, which causes LPO of intracellular triglycerides (TG). The intracellular damage induced by LPO can be repaired to a certain extent by the hepatocytes or prevented by terminating the radical chain reactions. LPO inhibits the activity of the antioxidative enzymes CAT and GPx, therefore impairing H₂O₂ detoxification.